The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-28
REV. DR.. MccLYNN
Forcibly Expresses His Views Re-
specting Catholic Influence
in America.

New YORK, July 27.-A remarkable arti-
Gle by Dr. Edward McGlynn, entitled, 1.-THE
new Know Nothingism and the old" appears
in the August number of the North Ameri-
can review, issued to-day. 1t is vivid pre-
sentation of the evils and dangers which, in
the writer's opinion, threaten the American
nationality and the American institutions
from, as he alleges. new purpose of the
German clergymen to prevent the assimila-
tion of their countrymen and their offspring
to the American type, on the one hand, and
the political scheming and sectarian educa-
tional tendencies of the Roman Catholic
church on the other.
He says there Is widespread and persis-
tent effort, with scarcely any attempt to con-
ceal it, to increase the Catholic church in the
northwest. The means toward the attain
ment CT this is to multiply German church
schools and German parishes and to make
the multiplication Of the latter an excuse and
a justification for the appointment, with the
aid Of the German cardinals in Rome, Of Ger
man speaking bishops.
In the second part of his article he calls at
tention to the evils and dangers likely to
come to American institutions through the
alleged political wire-pulling and sectarian
measures in education by the Catholic church.
Dr. McGlynn says:
There is now an av0wed determination, as
shown in the last council at Baltimore, to essab-
lish all over the country great system of paro-
chal schools in opposition TO the public schools,
and this is made the most urgent duty OF the
priests, under threats of communication. The
hope is not concealed that when the Catholic
church shall become larger, politicians may be in
duced to appropriate, through the State election
or the local government, all the funds necessary
for the support of these schools. This has al
ready been accomplished in New Haven and
elsewhere. Another thing which Is proposed by a
m q
public lands and millions of dollars of public
money to support all manner Of sectarian institu-
tions under the control of the Roman Catholic
church.
Continuing the writer says that II is not risking
much to say that II there were no public schools
the Catholic children. for all the churchmen
would do for them, would grow up ignorant.
direct interference IN politics @ of the I BISHOPS vicar
generals and priests. He Illustrates by citing a
case of the late Vicar General Quinn Of New
York in directing the priests to use their infiu-
ence to defeat constitutional amendments. also
the letter of Preston to Joseph j. 0'DonOyan on
the late mayoralty campaign, recent instructions
to himself not TO speak at political meetings. the
abuse Of the confessional in the interest of certain
political measures, and the effort of Archbishop
Corrigan TO defeat the call for constitutional
convention, as well as his similar action when
Bishop of Newark.
We fluid an extraordinary state of indiifer-
gers and their actual cooperation in bringing
about this state of things through legislative
action. The article concludes with pointing
out of the lines upon which the remedy must be
carried out. Briefly, these are efforts for the
rights OF conscience, separation OF church and
State, making of this country beacon of liberty
and refuge to the oppressed of all the nations
of the world abolishing Of all privileges granted
by public authority to individuals or corporations
whether civil or religious, and of full taxation of
property of all corporations without exception in
favor of any church, charity or Schools and the
conduct of the government in all things absolute
ly for the public that is, for the common good, or
in other words, for the most and never for an in
dividnal or a class. Have only common schouls,
and they should be supported from the common
treasury. only the common language Of the
country should be taught in the lcommon schools.